I was just looking at the tarot-deck "de-enable" thread on one of the forums and realized that I haven't had to be "de-enabled" on buying a new deck in a very long time. It probably helps that I don't find most recent decks particularly inspiring from a divination standpoint, even if they happen to be … Continue reading Mind Over Matter
Tarot
“A Quarter for Your Thoughts” Quarterly Outlook Spread
Technically, the phrase is "A penny for your thoughts," but inflation eventually overtakes all things. I like to say that I prefer to perform inductive rather than deductive readings, working up from the details in the individual cards to create a "big picture" - or "gestalt" - overview of the matter in question. This approach … Continue reading “A Quarter for Your Thoughts” Quarterly Outlook Spread
Divinosaurus Recidivus
Sometimes I feel like a displaced "dinosaur," and at other times I'm more a "cosmic anomaly" like Arthur Dent - a walking anachronism on one hand and a "man-out-of-time" on the other - with one foot planted firmly in the cartomantic past and the other tentatively treading the future of the art, but with little … Continue reading Divinosaurus Recidivus
The “Diurnal Footprint” Daily Draw Spread
Although I've reconciled myself to using the one-card daily draw to show the overall "tone" of the upcoming day rather than a single type of activity that will prevail during the entire time, I've been looking for a better model that will capture shifts in the "energy pattern" that may take place during the day. … Continue reading The “Diurnal Footprint” Daily Draw Spread
Without A Trace: A Missing-Person Roundup
There are currently three active missing-person cases in New Hampshire that I've been following closely to judge the accuracy of my readings. These cases are starting to grow cold, and at least two of them may not "break" until the winter weather does the same. In the past I have accurately (but only belatedly) divined … Continue reading Without A Trace: A Missing-Person Roundup
Time Bites: The Value of a Minute
Upon entering the ranks of the professional diviner, we inevitably encounter the question "How much is enough?" Time, that is, or effort expended for value received.I was once advised that, in rural New England where I lived at the time, the going rate for a face-to-face tarot reading was a dollar a minute. This was … Continue reading Time Bites: The Value of a Minute
“Tarot-Free” Tarot Decks (or “Damn the Symbolism, Full Speed Ahead!”)
I have a problem with self-proclaimed tarot decks that strip the usual symbolism from the cards and replace it with something radically different and wholly unlikely, whether it's animals or flowers or landscapes or similar charming but overly literal artwork that conveys something other than the customary narrative cues while often being utterly devoid of … Continue reading “Tarot-Free” Tarot Decks (or “Damn the Symbolism, Full Speed Ahead!”)
Tarot and Talking Heads
This will be a controversial topic and I may offend a few of the more experienced purveyors of wisdom in the online divination community, but they aren't my target here. My goal is to encourage improvements for everyone in the overall effectiveness of knowledge transfer and not just to criticize its shortcomings. For the less … Continue reading Tarot and Talking Heads
Bridging the Gap Between Magic and Meaning
You will often hear me say that, at least in my own work, divination is a subliminal process rooted in the unconscious (or, if you like, "Higher Self") that relies heavily on imagination, inspiration and ingenuity to tease practical messages from evocative symbolism that is typically shrouded in rather obscure "magical" imagery. In the best … Continue reading Bridging the Gap Between Magic and Meaning
Virus Alert!
With the 2019-nCoV ("COVID-19") coronavirus spreading relentlessly worldwide, I decided to do a reading to examine what the chances are for a global pandemic of epic proportions to occur over the next few months. I had not yet had the opportunity to test my apocalyptic forecast (the "Armchair Cynic's Guide to the End of the … Continue reading Virus Alert!
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 